It’s the start of May and the sun is teetering on the edge of full blown summer park beer warmth. I for one am looking forward to a bright weekend of lounging around outside with friends and a few cold tinnies. Despite ordering all of the beer for Ghost Whale and seeing and then selling it all, I often find myself struggling to pick out something for myself, which often means defaulting to suggestions from the team here. So this week’s quick fire selection of beers you should be trying comes courtesy of Conor, Georgia and yours truly and, as a result, what you’ve got is almost the full spectrum of craft beer diversity to pick between. So without further ado…
THREE HILLS – HEIDRUN (PALE ALE)
I’ve drunk my fair share of Pale Ales over the years and so many follow a similar ‘tropical’ or ‘juicy’ soft profile that it’s unusual for one to stand out. This special edition of Three Hills’ ‘Heidrun’ did just that. It’s got a base of citra and mosaic hops, but the addition of Bru-1 (a pretty new hop variety that brewers are starting to get to grips with) gives this beer a more unique flavour profile. It retains a good level of bitterness whilst offering a somewhat floral, pineapple profile that’s sweet, bitter, juicy and dry all at once. It’s a thirst quencher that surprised me.
Stuart’s pick.
OMNIPOLLO – NOA PECAN MUDCAKE WILLET VANILLA BA (BARREL AGED IMPERIAL STOUT)
I’d been rather dismissive of pastry stouts for a little while, but was blown away at the incredible attention to sourcing of ingredients Henok from Omnipollo displayed in The Craft Beer Channel’s latest videos. This barrel aged rendition of Noa is redolent with fudgey, truffley goodness, sweet and rich, of course, but the alluring aroma of the vanilla reaches out of the glass and pulls you back in for another sip. Next time I won’t be so dismissive because this beer is a fantastic display of adjuncts used very well, a celebration of vanilla that elevates the already impressive barrel character.
Conor’s pick.
DUGGES – COLA(SOUR)
This. Is. Great.
Far too excited to have Dugges Cola grace our shelves once more. Dugges are widely known for their rich imperial stouts and tangy sours and this does not disappoint! It’s liquified cola bottles, tangfastics to be specific, with a bonus of all those herby delicious notes for the adults amongst us. It’s one of those beers that people, me, talk about for years. Get one before you miss out!
Georgia’s pick.